It’s fair to say we get through a lot of chocolate here at Chocablog, but this particular box from Bianca Marton intrigued me as they’re vegan fresh ganaches.

Normally, fresh chocolate ganaches are made with cream (decidedly not vegan) or water (very difficult to get right), but Bianca has chosen to make her ganaches with coconut milk instead.

I was a little skeptical about this idea, but eager to try them nonetheless. When they arrived, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the attractive looking chocolates in the box.

So here’s some of the highlights from this box:

Organic Dark

I thought this unflavoured ganache would be a good test of just how well a coconut milk ganache compares to a cream ganache. Bianca uses a 56.6% Callebaut dark chocolate to make her ganaches, and while not the best chocolate in the world, it does provide a good balance between flavour and affordability. Bianca tells me she put a lot of effort and experimentation into finding the right couverture, and I think she’s found one that works well for her.

The ganache is a little firmer than I would expect from a traditional cream recipe, but it’s still nice.

The dusting of cocoa powder gives a nice, rich, chocolatey edge, and while you can certainly taste the coconut, it’s subtle – as it should be.

Strawberry

The most eye catching chooclates in the box, thanks to their dusting of freeze dried strawberry powder. I love the way dried strawberry comes alive as it hydrates in the mouth, and I really did enjoy this chocolate very much. The flavour is vibrant, but it doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate at all.

Marc De Champagne

A lovely, smooth truffle with very well balanced flavours. Like the strawberry, the flavour is quite strong, but doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate.

Sea-Salted Caramel

The unusual irregular shape of this chocolate led me to believe it was going to be a hard caramel, but it’s actually quite soft and rather pleasant. I’d prefer a touch more salt, but I could still eat these all day.

Single Malt Whiskey

One of the softer ganaches in the box, and one of my favourites. Another great balance of flavours. The Glenlivet 12 year old malt whiskey really comes to the front, but as with the Marc De Champagne truffle, never overpowers. I love this one.

Coconut

A coconut milk ganache mixed with finely ground coconut and rolled in coconut shavings. As you might imagine, this none is particularly coconutty. Bounty lovers will probably adore this!

Summer Berries

Made with blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants, this is another tangy, fruity ganache, and a great one to end this particular exploration with. It’s refreshing, tasty, and leaves you wanting more.

Overall, I was very impressed with this selection. If I hadn’t been told, I wouldn’t have noticed that most of them were made with coconut milk rather than cream. As an option for vegans or those who need to avoid dairy, I’d highly recommend them.

If I had once criticism – and it’s barely that – it would be that the consistency of the ganache is a little firm compared to most artisan fine chocolates made with cream. But I would still be very happy to give or receive a box of Bianca’s chocolates any time.